Toilet bowl brush



Feb. 17, 1953 c, sc 2,628,381

TOILET BOWL BRUSH Filed Aug. 26, 1949 ATTO 2N EYS Patented Feb. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a brush, and more particularly to a toilet bowl brush for cleanin and scouring toilet bowls and the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide a toilet bowl brush of the kind to be more particularly described hereinafter, which is formed of sponge rubber or other resilient and flexible material which is effective for cleaning toilet bowls and the like, and which may be sterilized and cleaned in boiling water with no resultant damage.

Another object of this invention is to provide a brush of this kind which will readily reach into all parts of the toilet bowl, and is of such a soft texture that it will not scratch or otherwise mar the porcelain surface. The sponge-like formation of the brush will provide for substantially drying the brush by pressing, and the rubber formation will provide a brush having a longer life than the conventional bristle type of brush, and may be sold at a lower price than the brushes presently on the market for the same use.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel fastening means for securing a resilient sponge-like brush member on an end of a handle.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a toilet bowl brush constructed according to an embodiment of this invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse section, partly broken away, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a blank of a modified connecting member for securing the brush body to a handle;

Figure 4 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the connecting member shown in Figure 3 connected to one end of a brush handle.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I6 designates generally a toilet bowl brush constructed according to an embodiment of this invention for cleaning and scouring toilet bowls and the like. The brush I6 is formed with a handle II and a brush element or brush body I2 removably secured on one end of the handle II. The brush body or brush element I2 is formed of an aerated rubber or sponge material preferably of the type known as the Dupont cellulose sponge material or the Goodyear Airfoam rubber. Preferably, the cellulose material will be used as such material provides for the boiling of the brush body in boiling hot water to sterilize the body after its use.

The brush body or brush elements I2 may be of any desired or suitable exterior configuration, and preferably of a substantially cylindrical body, as shown in the drawings, having outwardlyextending key members or lugs I4 extending outwardly from the periphery thereof. Preferably; the centralcylindrical body I5 Will have a plurality of circumferentially-spaced-apart lugs extending outwardly from the outer side thereof, as clearly shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, to provide for an abutment or bearing surface for scrubbing the articles on which the brush I6 is used.

The sponge-like body is formed with an outwardly-opening central bore or recess I6 which opens through the upper side thereof. The bore or recess I6 is terminated within the body I2 spaced upwardly from the extreme lower surface I1 thereof. The bore I6 will preferably be formed with an inside diameter substantially smaller than the outside diameter of th cylindrical rod or handle II for frictionally securing the handle therein. A plurality of horizontal inwardly-opening passages I8 are formed within the body I2 and communicate at their inner ends with the recess or bore I6, as clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. Preferably, a pair of passages I8 will be disposed radially of the bore I6 and will be aligned transversely of the brush body I2, extending outwardly from the opposite a different level or spaced downwardly therefrom and also communicate at their inner ends with the central bore I6.

At the lower end of the bore I6, there is formed an outwardly-extending cut-out portion 20 which extends outwardly and radially from the bore I6. The cut-out portion 20 intersects the extreme lower end of the bore I6 and extends outwardly therefrom substantially at right angles thereto. The cut-out portion 26 is substantially annular in configuration and is disposed in communication at its inner edge with the lower end of th recess or bore I6. The outwardly-extending passages I8 and I9 and the outwardlyextending cut-out portion 20 provide for the engagement of fastening elements to be carried by the handle II for removably securing the brush element I2 thereon.

A pair of outwardly-extending pins 2| are fixed on the lower end of the handl II and extend outwardly therefrom substantially radially for engagement within the passages I8 of the brush element I2. When the pins 2| are cylindrical in configuration, the pins will have an outside diameter slightly greater than the inside diameter of the corresponding cylindrical passages I8 to provide for the frictional engagement of the pins 2| within the passages IS. A similar set of radially-extending pins 22 are fixed n the lower end of the handle II and extend radially outwardly therefrom at a lower level than the pins 2| and are adapted to be frictionally engaged within the passages I9.

A fiat, circular plate 24 is fixedly secured to. t e extreme lower end of the handle II and is suitably fixed thereon by a bolt, rivet, screw or other suitable fastening member 25 which is engaged through the plate 24 and into the lower end of the handle II along the length thereof. The plate 24 is formed for engagement in the cutout portion 20 below the passages I8 and I9 to provide for the fixed engagement of the lower end of the handle II in the brush element I2. The plate 24 will normally have a thickness slightly greater than the opening of the cut-out portion 20, so that the plate 241 will be frictionally engaged therein.

A bail 26 may be pivotally engaged on the extreme upper end of the handle II for suitably securing the handle in any selected position, as on' a" fastening hook or the like.

In the use and operation of the brush II), with the handle II and brush element separated, the resilient aerated sponge-like body I2 may be initially extended for increasing the inside diameter of the central bore IE and the inside diameter of-the passages I8 and I9. With the sponge-like body I2 in its extended position, the handle II with the pins I8 and I9 and the plate 24 secured thereon is then engaged in the bore I6 and the body I2 may be suitably distorted for engaging the plate 24 in the cut-out portion 20 and the pins I8 and I9 in their respective recesses or passages. Such arrangement completes the assembly of the-brush and the brush may then be used for cleaning toilet bowls and the like for which it is particularly designed.

By forming the brush of this resilient, spongelike material, a suitable cleaning operation may readily be accomplished and the cleaning operations may include the use of scouring powdersor other abrasive material, and this abrasive mate- "rial will in no manner affect the deterioration of the sponge-like body I2, but will provide for the suitable cleaning of the toilet bowls or the like; The formation and configuration of the brush body I2 will provide for the suitable cleaning of the brush body by engaging the sponge body in hot boiling water, and then pressing the body for removing the water therefrom. In this manner the body I2 may be suitably dried to provide for the further use of the body.

In Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings there is shown a modified form of connecting member 30 'for securing the brush body or element, not shown in the drawing, to the brush handle Ila. The

connecting member 30 is preferably formed from or formed to the desired shape or configuration to be more particularly described hereinafter.

The blank 3I is initially formed by stamping or cutting a fiat sheet of metal in a manner to provide a pair of spaced-apart transverse bars 32 and 34 connected together by a plurality of spaced-apart connecting bars 35. The transverse bars 32 and 34 are adapted to circumvent one end of a brush handle Ila to be secured thereon by nails or other suitable fastening elements. When th bars 32 and 34 are secured on the handle I la, they are moved closer together than when they were on the blank 3| so that the connecting bars 35' will be crimped to U-shape, each connecting bar 35 then including a pair of outwardly-extending arms 31 and 38 connected at one end to a handle strap formed by the transverse bars 32 and 34, respectively, and connected together, at their outer ends, by an outwardly-spaced bight 39.

When the fastening member 30 is engaged. on one end of the handle Ila, the brush-engaging members connecting bars will be circumferentially spaced apart about the handle No as the transverse bars 32 and 39 will encircle one end of the handle.

The brush which will engage the connector 39 will be of sponge rubber or other suitable resilient and flexible material, formed suitably to be engaged within the body thereof by the outwardlyoffset members 39.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claim.

I claim:

Means for attaching a rubber brush to a handle comprising a pair of fiat bar elements formed into ring shape and circumposed on the handle at longitudinally spaced points and aflixed thereto, circumferentially spaced flat U-shaped bars having straight arms, said arms being disposed in parallelism at right angles to the ring-shaped bar elements and formed integrally therewith, the bight' portions of said bars being straight and parallel to the handle and spaced outwardly therefrom by the arms, said U-shaped bars being adapted to be embedded within the brush.

ELI C. SCAFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

